China's Maternity & Baby Market Reaches CN¥ 223.78 Billion Online: Key Growth Drivers and Competitive Landscape in 2025
By Jessie Wang
4 min read
The Bottom Line#
China's maternity and baby online market reached CN¥ 223.78 billion in 2025, growing +12.6% year-on-year (YoY) and nearly tripling the overall market growth rate of +4.5%. This acceleration signals a structural shift toward digital channels that will reshape how brands reach new parents across the country. Online channel share expanded from 35.1% in 2023 to 46.1% in 2025—an 11 percentage point gain in just two years—suggesting that e-commerce will surpass offline retail in this category within the next two to three years.
For brands and investors, the maternity and baby sector presents a compelling growth story driven by rising per-child expenditure, category diversification, and the emergence of maternal health as a high-growth segment. Annual spending per child aged 0-3 rose to CN¥ 48,000 in 2025 and is projected to reach CN¥ 72,000 by 2030 at a 6.0-7.0% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)[1].
Market Overview: Steady Growth with Clear Seasonal Patterns#
The 2025 sales data reveals consistent monthly revenue above CN¥ 15 billion, with two distinct demand peaks. May (CN¥ 20.96 billion) captures mid-year promotional momentum, while October (CN¥ 24.08 billion) represents the annual high, driven by Double 11 pre-sale activity and autumn-winter health product demand.
Average selling price (ASP) fluctuated between CN¥ 74.31 and CN¥ 103.16 throughout the year. The October ASP peak reflects premium product launches during promotional windows, while the December low of CN¥ 74.31—despite recording the year's highest sales volume at 250.6 million units—indicates a shift toward replenishment-driven purchasing of everyday essentials such as diapers and basic formula.
This seasonality creates a strategic imperative for brands. Premium SKUs and bundled offerings should anchor the September-November window when consumers demonstrate the highest willingness to pay. Value-oriented formats and volume packs serve the January-April and July-August periods when price sensitivity increases.
Category Landscape: A Two-Track Growth Story#
The maternity and baby market encompasses 18 distinct product categories exhibiting a dual-track growth pattern.
Established categories provide scale:
- Infant formula: CN¥ 50.93 billion (+18.1% YoY) — the undisputed category anchor
- Baby products: CN¥ 37.53 billion (+8.5% YoY)
- Baby diapers: CN¥ 35.31 billion (+4.4% YoY)
These three categories account for over 55% of total market revenue, providing a stable foundation.
Nutrition segments deliver outsized growth:
- Maternal nutrition: CN¥ 4.13 billion (+37.6% YoY) — the fastest-growing major category
- Baby nutrition: CN¥ 15.62 billion (+27.5% YoY)
- Maternity & baby travel: CN¥ 1.69 billion (+32.0% YoY)
| Category | Sales Revenue (CN¥B) | YoY Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Baby Milk Powder | 50.93 | +18.1% |
| Baby Products | 37.53 | +8.5% |
| Baby Diapers | 35.31 | +4.4% |
| Baby Toiletries | 22.83 | +21.0% |
| Maternity & Baby Furniture | 21.97 | +19.0% |
| Baby Nutrition Products | 15.62 | +27.5% |
| Maternal Nutrition | 4.13 | +37.6% |
Source: Moojing Market Intelligence
The most notable development is the shift from "baby first" to "mother and baby equally important." Combined sales of baby nutrition and maternal nutrition reached CN¥ 19.75 billion (+29.5% YoY), reflecting rising health consciousness among young parents.
The Channel Shift: Online Ascendant#
The channel migration data tells a clear story. Online share of maternity and baby sales grew from 35.1% in 2023 to 46.1% in 2025. Several factors drive the shift:
- Digital-native parents — Millennials and Gen Z default to online research and purchasing
- Subscription-friendly categories — Formula, diapers, and supplements lend themselves to auto-replenishment models
- Social commerce trust — Xiaohongshu (小红书) and Douyin (抖音) have become primary trust-building channels[2]
Competitive Dynamics: Brand Stratification#
The prenatal nutrition market illustrates the broader competitive pattern. Elevit (爱乐维), under Germany's Bayer Group, dominates with CN¥ 590 million in sales (+80.7% YoY), positioning as the premium category leader with over 30% of sales from products priced above CN¥ 400. Its stage-specific product matrix demonstrates that precision positioning can unlock outsized growth.
Mass-market competitors contest the volume-driven mid-tier: Gao Ji Xing derives over 90% of sales from products under CN¥ 300, while EIABAO, D-Cal, and Bio Island concentrate below CN¥ 200.
What This Means for Brands and Investors#
- Invest in maternal nutrition innovation — The fastest-growing segments are prenatal and postnatal supplements
- Build online-first distribution — The channel shift is structural and accelerating
- Leverage social proof — Physician endorsements and mom-community advocacy are the most effective trust mechanisms
- Prepare for per-capita-driven growth — Market expansion depends on increasing share-of-wallet per child
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This article is based on data from Moojing Market Intelligence (魔镜洞察). For methodology details and data sources, please refer to the full report.
Contact: [email protected]
[1] Projection based on Moojing Market Intelligence analysis; China Maternity & Baby E-commerce Industry Report.
[2] Social media discussion data sourced from Moojing Market Intelligence social listening platform.
This content adheres to Moojing's editorial standards .
Frequently Asked Questions
CN¥ 223.78 billion in 2025, growing +12.6% year on year — nearly triple the overall market's +4.5%. That gap is the story: this is a channel shift rather than a birth-rate one. Online share of the category went from 35.1% in 2023 to 46.1% in 2025, an 11 percentage point gain in two years, which puts e-commerce on course to pass offline retail within two to three years. Per-child spending does the rest of the work — annual spending on a child aged 0-3 reached CN¥ 48,000 in 2025 and is projected at CN¥ 72,000 by 2030 on a 6.0-7.0% compound rate.
They are different categories, and that is the planning point. Scale sits in infant formula at CN¥ 50.93 billion (+18.1%), baby products at CN¥ 37.53 billion (+8.5%) and diapers at CN¥ 35.31 billion (+4.4%) — together over 55% of market revenue and a stable foundation. Growth sits in nutrition: maternal nutrition is the fastest-growing major category at CN¥ 4.13 billion (+37.6%), baby nutrition at CN¥ 15.62 billion (+27.5%) and maternity and baby travel at CN¥ 1.69 billion (+32.0%). Baby toiletries (+21.0%) and furniture (+19.0%) sit in between on both measures.
A move away from a market that treated the mother as the buyer and the baby as the only consumer. Combined sales of baby nutrition and maternal nutrition reached CN¥ 19.75 billion at +29.5%, and maternal nutrition on its own is the fastest-growing major category in the market. That reflects rising health consciousness among younger parents, who now treat prenatal and postnatal supplementation as part of the same purchase decision as the child's nutrition. For a brand it opens a second addressable buyer inside an existing customer relationship, which is considerably cheaper than acquiring a new household.
Two peaks and two troughs, and they call for different products. Monthly revenue sits above CN¥ 15 billion all year with peaks in May at CN¥ 20.96 billion and October at CN¥ 24.08 billion, the annual high. Average selling price moves between CN¥ 74.31 and CN¥ 103.16, and both ends are informative: the October peak reflects premium launches during promotional windows, while December's CN¥ 74.31 low arrives despite the year's highest volume at 250.6 million units — replenishment buying of diapers and basic formula. So premium SKUs and bundles should anchor September to November, and value formats and volume packs should carry January to April and July to August.
